Queens District RCMP plan to step up patrols in North Queens after complaints of underage off-highway vehicle use. (RCMP NS Facebook page)

RCMP in Queens County are cracking down on underage ATV operators in North Queens.

Queens District RCMP officers will be stepping up patrols in the area after getting numerous reports from residents over the past several weeks of minors illegally operating off-highway vehicles at high speeds and often late at night.

RCMP spokeswoman Cpl. Carlie McCann says it’s all about safety.

“Members are making sure that there are police officers who are out there in order to enforce these laws, but also to ensure that people are being safe,” McCann said in an interview Monday.

“The big reason that laws like this exist is to make sure that people are safe when they’re out operating their off-highway vehicles and using the trails in our communities. So the biggest reason is to make sure that we aren’t seeing peple doing things that are unsafe on their OHVs.”

McCann did not know how many calls the RCMP received or in which specific areas of North Queens this is happening.

“Any type of report like this is too many when it’s unsafe behaviour, like driving too fast and at night. The number of calls that have been received have been enough to promote some concern.”

RCMP say that Queens County has no designated roads or highways yet listed under the Nova Scotia Off-Highway Vehicles Act. And operators must have a valid driver’s licence and wear helmets. Children between the ages of 6 and 15 must be supervised by a parent or guardian.

“I think the biggest thing to remember is that you have to be thinking about safety all the time on things like this,” McCann said.

“It’s really important to use common sense, so making sure that all riders have helmets, making sure that people are using (the vehicles) safely and know how to use them properly, making sure that your vehicles are well maintained and making sure that you are having common sense when you’re picking areas you’re riding in and picking who’s going to be driving the vehicles.”

Under the Off-Highway Vehicles Act, offenders can be fined up to $2,000 and have their vehicle seized by RCMP. 

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen below for the Aug. 19 news update

(File photo via RCMP NS Facebook page)

Highway 210 between Labelle Road and Greenfield is closed after a transport truck “jackknifed” on the road just before noon Thursday.

Emergency crews are on scene. RCMP have asked motorists to avoid the area.

The road has since been reopened.

RCMP were at the scene of a crash in the crosswalk at Main and Market streets in Liverpool on Monday morning. (Rick Conrad photo)

By Rick Conrad

A 79-year-old woman was taken to South Shore Regional Hospital on Monday morning after she was hit in the crosswalk at Main and Market streets in Liverpool.

The collision occurred at 11:21 a.m., an RCMP spokesman said. The woman’s injuries are not life-threatening.

Police have charged a driver with failing to yield to a pedestrian in a marked crosswalk.

The three-way stop at the corner of Main and Market streets has seen collisions and close calls before.

Leanne Arnott, owner of Five Girls Baking, said she has witnessed some of them.

“In fact, I myself have had a very close call,” she said Monday. “That was a couple of years ago and I was three-quarters of the way through the intersection when somebody decided not to stop and I actually had to put my hands on the hood of their car and jump back before they ran me over.”

She did not see Monday’s incident, but noticed emergency personnel tending to the woman, who was lying on the street.

Arnott said the intersection is unsafe and the municipality should install pedestrian-controlled lights to help alert drivers.

“As a business owner, watching this intersection daily, it is not safe. And I think if you were to ask anybody who lives around here, walks around here or even drives through the intersection on a regular basis, you’ll be told that this intersection is absolutely not safe.”

She said she’s worried more people will get hurt if something isn’t done soon.

A spokesperson for the municipality was not available to comment Monday.

Email: rickconradqccr@gmail.com

Listen to the Jan. 22 news update below

Photo Ed Halverson

Nova Scotia RCMP say they charged 125 people with impaired driving offences in December.

In the numbers released Wednesday, RCMP said 55 of those charges involved impaired driving involving alcohol and seven were drug-impaired infractions. Fourteen of the charges were refusing the breathalyzer, while 49 people had their licences suspended for driving while impaired.

RCMP say impaired driving investigations can be complex, especially when they involve both alcohol and drugs. Refusing a breathalyser can result in the same penalty as impaired driving.

The Mounties say you should call 911 immediately if you see somebody driving erratically or unsafely.

Listen to Wednesday’s news update below